This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and a logout method.
Some models of image forming apparatuses include an authentication process function intended to maintain security. To use the image forming apparatus including the authentication process function, a user performs login operation to execute the authentication process. In the login operation, the user inputs, for example, a login ID (identifier) and a password. The user who has succeeded in the authentication process can use a function of the image forming apparatus to execute a desired process. Then after completion of the desired process, the user performs logout operation. This permits suppression of use of the image forming apparatus by any user who has not executed the authentication process. As a result, security for the image forming apparatus can be maintained. However, the user may forget to perform the logout operation in sonic cases. In this case, after the user who has forgotten to perform the logout operation leaves from the image forming apparatus, another user who has not performed the authentication process may use the image forming apparatus. Thus, a technology of suppressing diminished security attributable to forgetting to perform the logout operation by the user has been suggested.
For example, some image forming apparatuses include an automatic logout function. With the automatic logout function, in a case where operation of an operation section by the user (input operation) is not performed within time limit, the logout process is forcibly executed.